Wrap up warmly on the moon — lunar nights are colder than expected
China's Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the moon touched down a few weeks ago and has been investigating rarely-seen parts of the lunar surface since then. And it has released a surprising finding -- apparently the lunar nights are colder than expected, with temperatures of -310 degrees Fahrenheit.
Could space mice help us develop anti-aging treatments here on Earth?
The International Space Station will be playing host to a group of mice to see how a stint in microgravity affects the way they age. The experiment, called Rodent Research-8, uses mice to understand the physiological changes associated with aging that are caused by time spent in low gravity environments.
Flying observatory discovers role of stellar winds in star formation
Research using NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) suggests the formation of stars can be regulated by stellar winds. Stellar winds blow away materials required to create new stars, preventing stars from being born close to other newborn stars in a process called feedback.
Windows 10 to eat even more disk space as ‘reserved storage’ for updates
The Windows 10 update circus continues, as Microsoft announces the next major update will change the way in which the operating system manages disk space by setting aside at least 7GB as reserved storage. This reserve storage will be used for installing updates and cannot be removed from the OS.
YouTube limiting recommendations of conspiracy theory videos
YouTube has had a problem for some time with conspiracy theories and other misinformation being spread over its platform. Now it has announced plans to reduce recommendations of content that promotes misinformation like phony cures, flat Earth theories, and false claims about events like 9/11.
Image shows the dramatic and beautiful last breath of a dying star
The European Southern Observatory has captured an image of a galactic phenomenon known as a planetary nebula. The beautiful colors of ESO 577-24 come from a shell of glowing ionized gas around the dying star and will last only a short time -- 10,000 years, which is extremely brief in cosmic terms.
Facebook’s merger plan causing concern among lawmakers and security experts
A Facebook plan to merge Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram has caused controversy this week. Now some experts and lawmakers are raising concerns about the privacy implications and antitrust issues stemming from the plan, as well as questioning the plans for end-to-end encryption in messaging.
Prices for using Tesla Supercharging just skyrocketed
Tesla is apparently moving away from a regional pricing structure for Supercharging to a per-station pricing structure in which the cost of charging will be based on local electricity rates and customer demand. This has lead to an increase in charging costs by as much as 33 percent in some regions.
Scientists investigate how massive stars die in dramatic hypernova events
Our Sun will gradually fade before expanding into a red giant at the end of its life. But larger mass stars undergo extreme explosive events when they die which outshine their entire galaxies. Scientists have investigated the death of a high mass star and the dramatic events which occur in a hypernova.
Water-based fuel cell converts carbon emissions to electricity
Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology developed a system which can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen by dissolving carbon dioxide in an aqueous solution. The inspiration came from the fact that carbon dioxide produced by humans is absorbed by the ocean.
Dinosaurs never stood a chance after asteroid impacts doubled 290M years ago
The number of asteroids pummeling the ancient Earth jumped dramatically around 290 million years ago, according to scientists studying the Moon. By looking at Moon craters they discovered that during this period the number of asteroid impacts on both Earth and the Moon increased by two to three times.
Tiny microbots fold like origami to travel through the human body
Tiny robots modeled after bacteria could be used to deliver drugs to hard to reach areas of the human body. Scientists at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have developed elastic microbots that can change shape depending on their environment.
Alphabet’s health watch monitors your heart health, is approved by the FDA
A health monitoring watch being developed by Alphabet, Google's parent company, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a medical device. This means that the FDA has found the devices to be safe and effective, and that they can legally be sold in the US.
Tiny animals discovered in Antarctic lake deep beneath the ice
Scientists have made a surprising discovery in Antarctica: the carcasses of tiny animals were found in a lake that sits deep beneath one kilometer (0.6 miles) of Antarctic ice. The animals the team discovered in the underground lake included crustaceans and a tardigrade, also known as a water bear.
Futuristic mask filters out air pollution for cyclists and runners
A big concern for cyclists in urban environments is staying safe, not only from car crashes but also from airborne pollutants. A cycling mask shown off at CES 2019 could help combat this problem by filtering out air pollution like toxic particles and diesel to keep cyclists' lungs clear as they ride.
Add futuristic AR to your bike helmet with the Argon Transform
Singapore-based startup Whyre have a simple way to make any bike helmet smart, using an attachment which can overlay AR information on a helmet's visor. They showed off the Argon Transform at CES 2019 this year -- a dual-camera system with one camera on the back of a helmet and one on the front.
Watch China’s moon mission touch down on the planet’s far side
China's Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the moon landed successfully at the start of the month, and now footage has been shared of a lander's-eye view of the touchdown. The mission touched down in the Von Kármán Crater and captured footage of the descent with a camera which was attached to the probe.
Brightest quasar ever seen discovered by Hubble, may be star-producing machine
The brightest quasar even seen in the early Universe has been observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. The quasar was identified using a technique called strong gravitational lensing, and its identification gives a glimpse into how galaxies were born when the Universe was young.
Earth’s magnetic field is shifting, vital map can’t be updated due to shutdown
The movement of the Earth's magnetic field is described by the World Magnetic Model, used by navigation systems of all kinds. The most recent version of the model should have been good until 2020, however, the magnetic field has moved so quickly that an update is required sooner than that.
Black holes devour nearby stars and spew brilliant X-rays during outburst phase
Using data from the International Space Station, physicists have investigated an explosion of X-ray light that originated from a black hole in an outburst phase. The data suggests that during an outburst, black holes consume huge amounts of stellar material and shrink in size by a factor of ten.
Scientists find a technique to identify electricity-producing bacteria
A new development in bacteriology could allow microbes to be used to run fuel cells and purify sewage water, according to a team at MIT. They have developed a new microfluidic technique which can process samples of bacteria to see if they are able to produce electricity.
New research could allow fast diagnosis of viruses like Ebola and Zika
A new development in molecular biology is a step towards mobile and instant diagnosis of viruses like Ebola or Zika in the field. Researchers at the French agriculture research center CIRAD have found a way to use a mobile device to identify plant viruses and potentially animal and human viruses too.
Bring Google Assistant into your car with the Roav Bolt, shown at CES 2019
You can now take your Google Assistant out of your home and into your car with a gadget from Anker called the Roav Bolt. The smart car charger will be compatible even with older car models and it can add features like voice navigation, music controls, and notifications to your regular car.
Connected car system will recognize your face and monitor your driving
Today's drivers expect user-friendly instrument clusters and infotainment systems for navigation and passenger entertainment, but many systems are siloed and unattractive. An in-vehicle experience showcased by Harman at CES 2019 aims to change that by connecting car systems to the rest of our lives.
IoT litter box automatically refills cat litter and monitors your pet’s health
Cat lovers will find something for them at CES 2019, as pet company PurrSong debuts a new smart cat litter box. The box, dubbed the LavvieBot, will automatically clean itself and refill litter, plus monitor your cat's health by keeping track of its litter box use and weight changes.
C-V2X system helps cars navigate intersections, even without a line of sight
A new C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) will be shown off by Audi, Ford, and Ducati at CES 2019. V2X is a form of short-range communication that can be sent and received by both cars and infrastructure. It allows cars to navigate around each other and the environment, even without a line of sight.
Exciton transistors could create the energy-efficient electronics of the future
Last year, researchers developed a new type of transistor based on excitons, a special type of quasiparticle, which could be used in the future to make electronic devices smaller, faster, and more efficient. Now the same team has made another breakthrough by discovering new properties of excitons.
Windows 10 to allow users to pause updates for up to seven days
Windows 10 updates have been a source of consternation, with updates inadvertently deleting files and users being unknowingly opted into beta software testing. But now there is some good news on the horizon for frustrated Windows 10 users, as updates will no longer happen automatically and can be paused.
NASA probe visits Ultima Thule, the farthest object humanity has ever reached
NASA's New Horizons probe is reached the farthest region of our solar system on New Year's Day 2019, when it buzzed a distant object known as Ultima Thule located in the Kuiper Belt. It is the most distant object ever explored by a spacecraft, located four billion miles from Earth.
Mini guidance satellites could be used to position telescopes in space
An issue with modern segmented telescopes is keeping each section of the mirror stable. Now, an MIT team has suggested using a miniature satellite the size of a shoebox with a simple laser which could provide a steady, bright light for the telescope to use as a reference point when moving through space.
2018’s most funded Kickstarter project is an Arthurian-themed board game
The biggest Kickstarter project of this year is surprisingly old school: a board game themed around a dark version of Arthurian legend. The Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Kickstarter raised a massive $6.2 million from over 40,000 backers, and the final game should be delivered in August 2019.
EU to offer bug bounties for finding security flaws in open-source software
The EU will be launching a bug bounty program as part of their Free and Open Source Software Audit project, focused on security issues with open-source software. Bug bounties are a way for companies to check the security of their software by offering cash to freelancers who hunt for security exploits.
NYC police to use camera drones for security at Times Square NYE party
For the first time, New York City police will use drones to keep an eye on Times Square for the NYE party, which is expected to attract as many as two million attendees. The drones will be used in addition to traditional anti-terrorism tools like police airplanes and helicopters.
Samsung’s Remote Access feature will connect its smart TVs to PCs, phones, more
Samsung announced that it will be introducing a brand new feature for smart TVs in 2019: Remote Access. The feature will use wireless connectivity to allow smart TVs to connect to PCs, tablets, and smartphones and will allow users to remotely control programs or apps from their Samsung TV.
Steam’s top-selling games for 2018 include ‘Rocket League,’ ‘Civilization VI’
As one of the biggest platforms for selling PC games, the Steam Store is the de facto shopping location of choice for most non-console gamers. Now Steam has released information on the best selling games of the year, sharing a list of the top 100 Steam games as measured by gross revenue.
Discord secures $150 million in funding, valued at over $2 billion
Discord is hugely popular chat app for gamers, but the company is seeking to move into selling games as well. Now Discord has announced that it has secured $150 million in funding, with a valuation of $2.05 billion, to expand its Discord Store which is hoping to compete with the massive Steam Store.